ILKLEY-based Carers and Companions, a leading provider of domiciliary care for elderly people in the Wharfe Valley, has launched a new service to provide support for people with a learning disability. The new service will offer care and support to adults with a learning disability helping them in their homes as well as out in the community.

“Our aim is to help people with a learning disability to live as independently as possible and to support them to have active and fulfilled lives” said Graham Smith, chairman of Ilkley Community Enterprise Ltd, the local charity that owns the care company. “This new service builds on the well-established reputation that Carers and Companions has in delivering high quality care and companionship for the elderly and the expertise that we have as a charity in supporting people with a learning disability.”

Carers and Companions will use specialist staff to provide a wide range of support for clients with a learning disability. This will include help with independent living such as budgeting, healthy eating and household tasks through to travel training, assistance with shopping and supporting involvement in activities and events in the community.

“As a locally based company we can provide really flexible packages of support for our clients that meet their individual needs and goals,” said Penny Clark, of Carers and Companions. “We are one of few care providers, serving the local community, that has been assessed by the Care Quality Commission as providing high quality care with an overall rating of good for our work and clients reporting that they are very satisfied with the quality of the care and support they receive from us. This, together with the considerable experience and skills our colleagues at Outside the Box, provides a very strong foundation for our new service."

Anyone interested in finding out more about the service should contact Mickala Baker or David Edwards on 01943 609484